Books Arrived!

On May 30, 2015, I closed up the last box of books to be taken to their new home in Entebbe, Uganda. And after a long sea voyage, some time in customs in Mombasa, Kenya, and then they were put on a truck in Nairobi and driven to Entebbe and October 2, 2015, they finally arrived, intact, at Daystar School in Uganda.

The teachers made the arrival of the books and opening of the Library an event for the students -- even planting a tree. In Uganda, when something momentous happens or when a building is finished, they plant a tree to be reminded of the occasion, so that it can serve as a memento of the joy they felt on that happy day.

I am told that when the kids saw the boxes of books, they were so excited that they screamed. There was apparently lots of singing. The strongest boys in the school were tasked with carrying them from the car to the Library and then everyone joined in opening the boxes and putting them on the shelves. Finally, they had a little celebration with juice and snacks. And apparently, no one wanted to leave and the kids had to be coaxed back to their classrooms. 

Yes, in the scheme of everything, these books are just a drop in the bucket. And yet, it took the effort of so many to make this drop: from the kids at Sutterville Elementary who went door-to-door collecting books, to people who sent me books from New York, the congregation at University Presbyterian Church in Sacramento, the people who brought new books from the Amazon wish list and the people who cleaned out their garages hunting for books. It was certainly a big group effort to make this little drop.